Today’s environment is different than many of you ever envisioned, where safety has become an overwhelming consideration both personal and property wise. Hardly an hour goes by without a news story about vandals, riots, destruction of property and injuries to innocent bystanders. Lawlessness seems to go unpunished and, in many cases, is ignored or championed by local authorities! The question on many people’s minds is, “What can I do to ensure the safety of my business and its employees?”
Thankfully, there are a number of technology solutions available to alleviate many of the problems surrounding contact with people whom you are unsure of their intentions, or that you are forced to interact with to quell undesirable activity, or to document interaction for possible use in court, or to prove your case to authorities not present at the time of the infraction.
The use of two-way radios has been a mainstay of security operations for years and are still one of the best ways to keep everyone informed of situations that have the potential to devolve into an altercation. By keeping in touch with security, parking lot management, door and hallway monitors, it is possible to keep order and prevent developing situations from getting out of hand. What happens when things do go wrong and forcible action is taken? Do you have the means to back up your assertions that force was not only necessary but also done appropriately?
Today, we have small, inexpensive, body-worn cameras that, for less than $400, can be used by security personnel to document the dispute, the resolution and the aftermath in a legally protected chain of evidence to ensure limiting any legal liability claims resulting from the action taken. Evidence of the event, what was said, how the officer responded, and the resulting detainment are all crucial to the prevention of retaliatory lawsuits by the perpetrator in addition to evidence used by police.
A body-worn camera ushers in a new generation of small, easy-to-use cameras linked to a cloud-based recording suite capable of running for several months on a single battery charge. Individual cameras can be assigned and RFID protected from unauthorized use. An RFID reader is required if this desirable feature is turned on so that only the assigned user may activate the camera to record. Cameras have a varied appeal for a number of potential uses, including crowd control, limiting access, physical altercations, and recognition of people who may be intent on creating trouble.
To further enhance the capabilities of your two-way radios, it is possible to integrate call buttons into the mix and have them work with your analog or digital radios. You can install call buttons at all entry points to alert your radio users that they are needed to open a door at a specific location, while the call button lets the person waiting know that help is on the way. Having call buttons extends the reach of your existing personnel and improves the service they can provide. The call buttons can be programmed with custom recorded messages that will be played back to the person who pushed the button and in some cases have been used to provide additional information while they wait for someone to respond. The messages heard over all the radios are custom to the location of the call button and provide the directions for the radio users to respond. Call buttons can provide directions to the user while they wait for help to arrive.
Today in these uncertain times you can’t be too careful, and by leveraging technology, you will certainly be better prepared in any situation that may arise. The use of two-way radios, surveillance cameras, body-worn cameras, and call buttons will tighten up your facility so that responses will be quicker, more appropriate, and fully documented to remove down-stream liability. Take safety seriously, and you will be glad you did!
2Way Supply is a nationwide, authorized Motorola 2way radio dealer specializing in business and commercial Motorola 2Way radios, parts and accessories, based in Texas, www.2waysupply.com.
